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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · charge · bound · lean · temple · pop · rash · drill

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pop — soda
  3. game — a match
  4. rash — hasty
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bound — tied together
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. lean — thin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. charge — a price
  14. drill — army training
  15. charge — in control
  16. bound — certain
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. drill — a practice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. charge — electricity
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com